Fort Myers teen avoids jail time in fatal hit-and-run

A 17-year-old Fort Myers girl charged with leaving the scene of a deadly crash changed her plea Monday. While the victim's family was OK with the outcome, they were disturbed by the teen's demeanor.

Friday, February 5th 2016, 6:46 PM EST

Updated:

Saturday, February 6th 2016, 12:29 AM EST

A 17-year-old Fort Myers girl charged with leaving the scene of a deadly crash changed her plea Monday.

Yariza Herrera originally pleaded not guilty to the charge but changed it to no-contest.

Authorities said Herrera hit a car driven by Evan Shepherd, 27, last January on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, causing the car to slam into a tree and flip over. Herrera fled the scene, and Shepherd died from his injuries.

Herrera's car was found two days later, ditched behind a home not too far from the crash site.

Herrera was arrested in August. She entered a plea of not guilty, but changed it to no-contest Monday, a moment Shepherd's family has been waiting for.

"It's a lot to take in. It's really emotional. It's hard. It's hard to see someone that drove your family nuts for a year," said Lauren Harkins, the sister of Evan Shepherd.

While Shepherd's family was OK with the outcome, they were disturbed by Herrera's demeanor.

"It's a relief that we can move forward now. It's been a long time. From what I saw today, I don't feel like that she feels any responsibility," said Patricia Sala, Shepherd's mother.

Herrera didn't say anything at Monday's hearing, but her family confronted ABC7 outside the courtroom.

We asked Herrera about what happened the night of the crash, but as her family left the courtroom, not only did they ignore the question, a family member shoved our camera, and later, while waiting for the elevator, Herrera's criminal defense attorney also confronted ABC7.

Because Herrera is charged as a juvenile, she won't face any jail time, but she could be sentenced to up to a year of probation and lose her license for three years.